Beat Diet: Matthew Dear

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard Matthew Dear’s track “Don and Sherri.” It was my best friend’s voicemail greeting for at least six months to a year. She’s obsessed. It’s doubtful she’s the only one. The video’s approaching 300,000 views on YouTube. Not too shabby for an experimental pop tune. “Dog Days,” a single from Dear’s full-length Ghostly debut Leave Luck to Heaven, made influential blog Pitchfork’s Top 100 Songs of the Decade. Why does Dear deserve the limelight? Dance music producers who step up to the mic are rare to begin with; Dear does it in a shadowy yet compelling way. A member of Denver dance music message board SidewaysFive.net compared Dear’s vocal timbre to that of Lou Barlow, singer for alt-rock outfit Sebadoh. Judge for yourself tonight at 2200 (821 22nd Street).

George Peele is an alien musician. He is also Music Features Editor for 303’s print edition. Keep your eyes peeled for October’s profile on dubstep promoter Nicole Cacciavillano.

About The Author

George Peele enjoys dancing on stilts and delivering Custom Singing Telegrams. He is a blogger for 303 Magazine and a freelance writer for Vegas Seven. Follow Peele on Twitter and Instagram @orangepeelmoses